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The Shocking White Hair

Dr Adam Rutherford and Dr Hannah Fry investigate everyday mysteries sent by listeners.

Why does human hair go grey and is it ever possible for it to go white overnight from shock? Hannah and Adam explore why hair goes grey, how much stressful life events and a lack of sleep can speed up the process. They hear from the pilot whose hair turned white after a flight where all 4 of his engines failed after flying through a volcanic ash cloud - was the shock responsible? They also uncover new research which has shown it's possible for greying hair to return to its natural colour and ask if this finding could be exploited to uncover a cosmetic way to reverse hair greying?

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28 minutes

Last on

Mon 30 May 2022 00:32GMT

Broadcasts

  • Mon 23 May 2022 19:32GMT
  • Tue 24 May 2022 03:32GMT
  • Tue 24 May 2022 04:32GMT
  • Tue 24 May 2022 08:32GMT
  • Tue 24 May 2022 12:32GMT
  • Tue 24 May 2022 19:32GMT
  • Mon 30 May 2022 00:32GMT

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The Curious Cases of Rutherford and Fry

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